


Sanctuary

by hopecanbeyoursword



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mentions of Violence, OT4 Friendship, Paradise Fears, Past Child Abuse, Post-Descendants 2, Song Lyrics, Songfic, injuries, the Isle life was not a happy life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-01 14:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14522646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: After the events of Descendants 2, the VKs and the Auradon kids have time to sit down and think things through. The VKs realize that though there will always be people who doubt them, they have people that will always be at their side. That's what's important.lyrics from Sanctuary by Paradise Fears





	Sanctuary

**Author's Note:**

> I highly recommend listening to this song at some point. The message that comes from it is very important for us to hear, especially when we're feeling low.

_See, we don’t really care who you are,_  
_We’ve kinda got this non-exclusive policy of determining exactly,_  
_Who we open up to and let into our family,  
_ _And then who becomes a part of our united mass of harmony_

 

Things had settled down in Auradon after the cotillion and all the events that had happened. Mal and Ben were making an effort to talk to each other, Lonnie had made the team better, and Evie was excitedly preparing for the arrival of Dizzy.

They all had a free day, the first time in weeks that they all had time to hang out. They were spread out under a tree on the great lawns. It was only a few days after the cotillion, and there were still things to talk about, but for now, they needed a break.

As Mal looked around, she smiled softly. She never thought her life would turn out this way. She had always though she would take after her mother, and rule the Isle with Evie, Jay and Carlos at her side. The four of them had been close on the Isle, but it was when the arrived at Auradon, the only reminder of their past, that they truly became friends.

Ben was the one who truly turned their lives around. He was the one who decided to invite them to go to school in Auradon. He had brought them there, and though they hated all the goodness at first, still under their parents’ influence, they had come to accept it, some slower than others. Evie had fallen in love with their room at first sight, and she was finally encouraged to study and was praised for her intelligence. Jay found a team, Tourney being the perfect sport for him. It allowed him to hold onto his Isle strength and cunning, and helped Auradon see him as a benefit to their kingdom. Carlos got over his fear of dogs, started coming out of his shell, and was making a name for himself.

No longer did they have to fight for the smallest scrap of food, or go home at night knowing the punishment awaiting them. They finally had love in their life, first and foremost with each other. No matter how their romantic relationships turned out, the four VKs knew that they had each other. That’s how it had always been.

As if she was reading her friend’s mind, Evie spoke up from her place between Mal and Doug. “Can you believe how our lives turned out?” she turned her head to look at her best friend, taking in Ben besides her, their other friends across from them.

Lonnie, Jay and Carlos were petting Dude as the dog happily made his way back and forth between them. 

Looking up, Lonnie smiled. She had tried to be kind and accepting of the VKs when they first arrived, but they were different from what she had grown up with. She had been wary, but tried to stay open. It had been hard when she had heard what their childhoods had been like, but she knew they wouldn’t want sympathy. To them, that’s just how it was.

Now, after months of them being in Auradon, she had been privileged to see them for who they were. They weren’t afraid of their parents anymore, not in the same way. They fit in more, but not because they felt the had to, at least, not anymore. Mal had found a balance for her, and she seemed much happier. Evie and Carlos had the least trouble fitting in, but certain things they did screamed Isle. Jay had found his solace in sports, and Lonnie understood the struggle he had handing over the team to her. It was what he held onto, knowing that it was a way to be accepted. But his time in Auradon humbled him, and Lonnie would always be thankful for what he did for her. 

And after getting to know each other, they were gravitating towards each other, something new forming between them.

Getting to know the four had allowed her a new perspective on life, and she knew Doug and Ben felt the same way. The three of them were ready to embrace the next wave of VKs they invited to Auradon. So far, the only one invited had been Dizzy, but Evie was working on making a list.

They were a mismatched bunch: a king, a daughter of a warrior, band geek, former thief, fashion phenom, computer whiz, and the daughter of the most feared villain.

Ben, Lonnie, Doug, Jay, Evie, Carlos and Mal. They had become a patchwork family.

 

_And that’s kind of become the thesis to this song,_  
_Through suffering, acceptance, grief, and strife,_  
_There’s no way that your puzzle piece fits into our puzzle wrong,  
_ _‘cause everyone is welcome on this stage that we call life_

 

The Isle had not been kind to the four VKs. They had seen things on the island that those who grew up in Auradon couldn’t imagine. The island was dark and grimy, everything falling apart. They got scraps from Auradon, and had to fight each other for the least moldy piece of bread or the apple with the fewest bruises. The more feared you were, the better off. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay learned that the hard way.

It came with who their parents were. They had stuck to how they grew up when they stepped foot in Auradon. They kept walls up, believing that they would be leaving soon. But even then, Ben kept giving them chances to prove themselves. He held onto his belief, never wavering. He was the first to believe in them.

He forgave them for all their mistakes, and made an effort to be there for them when no one else was.

It had been odd for them at first, but now, they couldn't be more thankful. Ben had allowed them to find their place in Auradon.

 

_And we don’t really care who you are,  
_ _Everyone is capable of looking up and wishing on a star._

 

They had found hope in Auradon, something they had truly never had before. They could hope for happier lives, ones without punishments and where they didn’t have to worry about where their next meal would come from.

Auradon allowed them to experience positive emotions and experiences. They had friends, family, and a place to call home.

Ben’s coronation had been the tipping point. Evie and Carlos had been the closest to being good before that, but out of loyalty, stuck with Jay and Mal, who seemed the most out of place in Auradon. They had been through too much to abandon each other now.

When Mal, the one with the most deep seated loyalty (fear) regarding her mother broke down, declaring she wanted a chance to show the world she wasn’t her mother, the others knew they could, too. Even if they wanted to before, they wouldn’t have let Mal face the wrath of their parents alone.

The publicly declared that they were good, in front of the royal family, Fairy Godmother, and everyone else in the room. Mal declared her feelings for Ben. Then there was their showdown with Maleficent that Mal _won,_ that lessened any fears people had, though did not dispel them completely.

 

_So catch, so contagious, this day-dreamer’s disease,  
_ _And hope can be your sword, slaying darkness with belief_

 

After a talk with Doug, in which he fiercely and repeatedly apologized for what he had done (siding with Chad), Evie pecked him on the cheek, and went to where her friends were gathered, leaning against the railing as they overlooked the gardens.

For once, they felt completely safe.

The four of them stood in silence, hands resting side by side. Though scarred and bruised, the four friends knew that no matter what the world threw at them, they’d always have each other.

Evie had smiled, letting her head rest on Mal’s shoulder, as Mal linked her fingers with Jay. Carlos stood on the other side of the former thief, his head on Jay’s shoulder. The four of them rarely showed this much public affection for each other where anyone could see them, but after all that happened, it felt right. 

The moment was broken ten minutes later when Ben, Lonnie and Doug made their way towards them, big smiles spread across their faces. They didn’t say anything, but the message was clear.

They had allies in the three, and for the VKs, they are all they needed.

 

_And we don’t really care who you are,  
_ _Regardless of how lost you are returning from, regardless of how far_

 

Ben had given them all chances to prove that they weren’t their parents. No matter what happened or what they did, he firmly believed they were good. Pretty much everyone else had doubts, but Ben never wavered. Even when Mal fled to the Isle, and the others followed her, easily falling back into their old ways, even if they didn’t see the island as home anymore. He had seen Mal, the girl he loved, in what had been her element, and though it hurt to know why she had run, his feelings never wavered. She was the one he wanted by his side, and if he had to embrace his darker side, he would. After all, she had already done so much for him. It was the least he could do.

He knew that the villains had been locked up for their actions, and couldn’t completely fault his father for that. However, he knew their children weren’t to blame. They shouldn’t have been held accountable for the things their parents did.

He knew they were far from being kind and respectful. They had been brought up completely different, not saying please and thank you. Rather, they stole and taunted instead. It was the way of the Isle, and even now, he knew the Isle would never completely leave them. It was clear when he saw them on the island, easily falling into and living up to their Auradon given title: Villain Kids. It was in their fierce dependance in each other and protectiveness over each other. It was in the leather gloves they still wore often, covering their calloused and scarred hands. It was in the way one look could convey a complete conversation. It was the way they still covertly scanned their surroundings, and held their valuables close.

Lonnie and Doug saw it, too. The way Jay needed to let out his excess energy that used to go into stealing and roughhousing. All the sports he joined were an outlet for him, where the strength he had was praised, not feared. Evie’s love for sewing and fashion, the one thing she still held onto that her mother taught her. It was something she had come to love, and used it to make a name for herself. It was in the way Mal clung to her art and her Isle clothes. She was still snarky, but she was being true to herself. It was in the way Carlos was still wary around new people, but when he saw one of the people he considered family (which now seemed to include Lonnie and Doug, and Dude, of course) he lit up. It was in the way his eyes always looked out for threats or easy ways to escape danger.

Those things would never change, not after what they went through. But they were making improvements, and were opening up more.

 

_So bring me all the worst of your broken, bruised, insane.  
_ _Because that’s the thing with music: when it hits, you feel no pain_

 

They had all been through a lot on the island. From a young age they were taught that stealing, pushing, punching and lying were the only ways to survive on the island. Before they had found their footing, they had been pushed around, both by other inhabitants and their parents.

Carlos was more of a slave than a son to Cruella. He slept in a closet, and his jobs were to clean, and take care of her furs. She trained him to be obedient, willing to follow anything she said in order to avoid punishment. Still, he had small burn marks up and down his arms, and his fingers would naturally curl, as if he was holding a sponge to scrub the floor clean. He was the most vulnerable of the four, as they had been taught to stand up to everyone except their parent, while he had been taught to submit. Jay, Evie and Mal had been his first friends, and he valued them above all.

Jay had knife scars all over his knuckles, from fights he got into and from his father when he didn’t bring back enough to sell. Once he became allies with the other VKs, he would keep an eye out for those who tried to bully them. He kept a weapon on him at all times, as it was the only way to keep more scars and bruises from appearing on him. It was best if he was the one doling out the pain, instead of receiving it.

Evie had been trained to be a perfect princess in the hardest ways. No laughing, no smiling. She could put on makeup before she could walk, and could sew before she could read. Her punishments usually came in the form of starvation, though occasionally, her hands would suffer (usually from other VKs). The Evil Queen didn’t want to mar her daughter’s perfect skin, so she took away her food instead. After all, according to her, a princess had to be thin in order to find a prince. Even with the food her friend managed to sneak her, it sometimes wasn’t enough. She had passed out a few times, and it took Evie calming her friends down to keep them from making a scene. It had taken time in Auradon to get her to eat normally, even though she usually stuck to salads and fruit, though by choice.

Mal was used to hits and smacks, as well as being yelled at or being completely ignored when she didn’t please her mother. Her fingers were slightly crooked from all the pain inflicted on them, but even still, she was an amazing artist. Her mother discouraged her to do anything art related unless it was vandalizing. She took to hiding in her hide out when her mother became too much, only to receive a worse punishment when she returned later. She had trust issues, and though she was seeing that not everyone would hurt her, verbally or emotionally, her three friends were the only ones she trusted unconditionally, the ones she knew would never want her to change. Even with Ben it had been a concern, though they worked it out.

 

_No matter what you did  
_ _I promise, we forgave it_

 

The four had all done things they weren't proud of. When they lived on the Isle, and still had that mentality, they didn't feel the same. Their parents praised them when the stole, hurt or bullied someone. 

The four of them hadn’t started out as friends, or even allies. Mal had been taught to look down on everyone, and whenever she saw them, her mouth would curl into a snarl. She was the daughter of the most feared villain. She was supposed to be the next ruler of the Isle. She had gotten close to Jay first, the two of them being the strong ones, the ones who had no doubts pushing people down. They’d laugh as they ran down the alleyways, not caring who they pushed to the ground, who they stole from.

They became a fearsome duo, and others tried to avoid them, or at least stay on their good side. This was around the time Mal was close with Uma. That had fallen apart when Mal and Jay, reluctantly at first, invited Carlos and Evie into their fold. Quickly, the four became known as the Fearsome Four, and they actively stood against Uma and her pirate crew.

The lines were drawn, and sides had to be picked. Mal and Jay were the physical of the two, Carlos being the smallest, was good at sneaking around, and Evie patched them up as much as allowed.

They fought hard to keep their place at the top of the chain, leaving knuckles split open and bloody, knife scars forever scattered up and down their arms.

Jay and Mal were the worst, as they protected Evie and Carlos. The longer the four stuck together, the closer they got, and Mal and Jay realized that their friends didn’t have the same streak of evil as they did. Fighting came easier to them. Carlos had been used to staying locked up with his mother, and Evie with her mother, learning to be pretty so she could nab a prince.

When they still lived on the Isle, Mal and Jay would feel something akin to pride bubble up in their stomach when they knocked someone unconscious, left someone bleeding and scarred, or stole. Those were the things that lessened their punishments and made their parents happy.

Mal jabbed people with her elbows, and when her eyes glowed, the power passed on by her mother showing, others would shrink back in fear. No one wanted to make her mad. Jay was the one who had quick fingers, who always had a blade on him that he would often twirl between his fingers as a silent warning. Evie used the training she had received from her mother to flirt her way into manipulating others. Men would fall at her feet, and when they were down, either she, or her friends, would knock them further, stealing everything they had on them. Carlos, while not actively engaging much in violence, would use his size to slip into hidden places, following Jay’s instructions to steal things. He used his speed to get the best of the food when it arrived, to share with the other three.

The four of them working together made them unstoppable and cruel, and that’s how they always thought it would be.

 

_When all that’s left is your voice, you’ve got no choice but to raise it._  
_All you broken hearts, all you dejected dreams,  
_ _Just let yourself be free, because even broken dreams, can fly away_

 

But here they were, curled up under the shade of a giant tree, happy. They were in Auradon, learning to be good, while no forgetting their past. They were finding a happy balance, one where they didn’t fear their parents.

There was still work to be done, as they still had deep-seated fears and insecurities, and the fact that Mal was now a Lady of the Court had to be talked about, as well as what Uma had done. However, for the moment, they were content to forget all that.

The four had found their place, and while there were many who still distrusted them, the people they had were enough. 

They never thought they’d have more than each other, but now they had Ben, Lonnie and Doug as close friends, and Fairy Godmother, Belle and Adam looking out for them. Jane was trying to make amends and get to know them, as well as other members of both Lonnie and Jay’s teams.

But for now, what they had was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> yes, my username comes from this song. it's been my absolute favorite song for years, and I felt it went perfectly with this idea. Let me know if you want me to write more for this fandom. I have a few ideas in the works. And as always, feel free to leave prompts, either as a comment or on tumblr (information on accounts and fandoms I write for on my profile)


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